From the Northern Times 25, 50 and 100 years ago

25 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of March 26, 1999

Golspie is to receive a royal visit next month when the Prince of Wales pops in to Seaforth House after his official opening of the new woollen mill for Hunters of Brora. The extra stop on his itinerary was confirmed this week by the Lord Lieutenant of Sutherland, Major General David Houston.

A MAJOR facelift for the former Rogart Hotel, now under new ownership and renamed the Pittentrail Inn, is to benefit from an £18,000 grant from Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise. It is the largest award under the Finance for Business heading in the list of approvals by CASE in February.

Police are appealing for help from the public following a break-in at Brora Golf Club and shop overnight on Tuesday during which a substantial sum of money was stolen. Dornoch-based Detective Constable Stuart Buchanan said the money taken had been in the form of coins. He asked local shopkeepers and bank tellers to be on their guard in case they had any requests to exchange large amounts of coins for notes.

50 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of March 29, 1974

Is Brora about to lose its second industry after the closure of the coal pit last month? That question is being asked since there is little immediate prospect of the brickworks being reopened after they had to close down last December because of fuel restrictions. Mr F. B. Low, the brickworks manager said: "We are not reopening at the moment because we do not have the labour. The majority of our labour force of 23 have gone to other jobs, and the chances of getting such as kiln burners up here are pretty dim."

Still to be positively identified are what are believed to be mortar bombs found dumped on the slopes of Ben Bhraggie last weekend by estate foresters. By their rusted appearance they have been lying there since World War II. An RAF bomb disposal unit from Leconfield, Yorkshire, examined them last Tuesday. Chief technician Ian Ross said they had blown some open but did not find any sign of explosive inside and were taking four samples back to Leconfield for more detailed tests.

100 YEARS AGO

From the newspaper of March 27, 1924

Distress is widespread in the parish of Tongue, and threatening to become more acute unless relief comes in one form or another soon. The situation was discussed at a well-attended meeting held in the Public School, Tongue, on 22nd inst., when those present unanimously passed the following resolution: - "That this public meeting of the inhabitants of the parish of Tongue, recognising that grave distress exists throughout the parish, would urgently call upon the county council to carry out their programme of relief work on the public roads throughout the parish to enable men whose barns, pockets, and cupboards are empty to have an early opportunity to replenish the same, and that in the event of suitable offers not being lodged, this meeting calls upon the county council to start the work on day's wages without delay, and so secure the benefit of the grant so generously given by the government to provide work for the unemployed in the parish and alleviate distress where it is found.

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